Days after Pakistan reopened its side of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor connecting India’s Dera Baba Nanak, the Sikhs’ highest temporal seat, Akal Takht, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), known as Sikhs;’ mini parliament, on Wednesday urged the Central Government to reopen the Indian side of the corridor.
“On June 8, the Government of India had opened all religious places. Our government should also open Kartarpur corridor for the Sikh sangat,” said Akal Takht’s acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.
Welcoming the opening of the corridor by the Pakistan Government, , SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said: “I also request to the Government of India to try to open the corridor as soon as possible while following the guidelines of the health department.”
Akal Takht head priest and SGPC president were taking to the media persons after participating in a religious function organized at the Akal Takht secretariat to commemorate the foundation day of the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
Days before, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had maintained that he was in favour of opening the corridor, but added that the Centre will not be ready to reopen the corridor in such a short time.
At the same time, the Akal Takht jathedar also advised the Sikh youth to think twice while posting material on social media platforms.“On social media, an atmosphere is emerging, which is encouraging genocide and destruction of our principles and organizations.
We must be saved from it. I appeal youngsters to not get provoked and only share posts on social media after thinking twice so that no untoward incident takes place,” he said.
The appeal comes after reports of ‘Khalistani operatives’ being arrested by the Punjab Police for ‘using social medial platforms’ to come in contact with their handlers in Pakistan came out.
Only a day before, the Akal Takht jathedar had asked the SGPC to pursue the cases of Khalistani operatives arrested by Punjab Police recently.
Moreover, the head priest had also, on the Operation Bluestar anniversary, claimed that every Sikh wanted Khalistan.